MAS110 Sem 2 2012

Digital Media Convergence

Advertising and New Media

The integration of digital media convergence within society blurs the boundaries between media producers and the consumers (Meikle & Young 2012). Alongside the concept of Web 2.0, the transition from analogue to digital had developed disciplines for communication that altered the economical, social and cultural structures that formulate the global society. In particular, advertising and new developments of media have been impacted to the extent of social media being profitable and altering the consumption of advertising campaigns. As the transition from traditional to online media creates a diverse media culture, the understanding of digital media convergence develops into a media platform that requires interactivity between advertisers and the consumers, demonstrating the phenomenon of digital convergence within the public sphere.

"Readers and advertisers are migrating online, where competition for eye-balls and ad dollars is fierce" - Kiehl cited in Dwyer 2010

The migration toward the online revenue, introduced an opportunity for advertisers to integrate marketing discourses into the social space of society by creating a platform of reciprocal power relations connecting the advertiser and consumer within online media. Through the structures of Web 2.0, the convergence of advertising industries, entertainment technologies and social media develops a space for interaction as Jenkins (2006) defines it as a cultural shift between the producer, distributer, consumer and media content. This understanding of social interaction within media demonstrates the communicative process of encapsulating an audience into the media content. Shifting power relations creates social convergence through online interaction and the selection of advertisements that are considered to be of "interest" toward the consumer (Borders 2006). As shifting power relations alter the role of the media, the digital technology incorporated in the evolving society merges the dichotomised media disciplines to satisfy the high-demand of digital media in society (Wilkinson 2009).

Through interlinking the various systems that formulate the media, the understanding of digital media convergence in terms of social interaction and participation demonstrates the impact of consumption, as the advertising corporation's connection with consumers are altered to meet the demand of the public sphere. Through Spurgeon's (2008) idea of "new conversational media contexts", the ability for digital media convergence to create a new media platform for social participation creates a culture of accessing media-content through social networking. Through this social interaction, the development of participatory culture implicated the new form of communication, as Carpentier (2011) demonstrates the understanding of Web 2.0 as the shift away from the mass consumerist markets. With this, the development for the convergence of entertainment industries within participatory culture integrated the targeting of individuals to expand recognition of advertisements via the social network.

Through this engagement with consumers; advertisers incorporates social communication to popularise media-content as Sheehan and Morrison (2009) projects the "relationship" that consumers immerse themselves with other individuals and brands. This demonstrates the ability for the consumer to alter the succession of an advertising campaign as it becomes dependable to the social culture of "collective intelligence" (Jenkins 2006). In terms of in-game advertising, the objective for the advertisers is to gain recognition and profit from the end-user through the entertainment industries of online gaming. In doing so, Ahmed and Kwon's (2012) thesis on "pay-per-view" advertisement becomes recognised through online gaming applications, as the profitable outcome of advertisements becomes dependent on the productivity of the consumer within the online gaming venue.

Linking this understanding of "pay-per-view" to Lee and Wohn's (2012) understanding of social network games; demonstrates games such as Farmville converging the entertainment industry and the social network to create a media platform that allows the audience to interact with other individuals and the game itself. The creation of online communities demonstrates the expansion of a commodity as Lee and Wohn (2012) projects social network games as a media platform "played with people within one's existing networks via social network sites". This defines the opportunity for competing advertisers to exploit the online social networks to interconnect with consumers selecting the advertisements. Within the webpage, ad-banners and ratings have become frequently implemented to promote associated categories of the entertainment industry.

This popular application of Angry Birds along with many others have implemented the convergence of technological, industrial and entertainment spheres, creating a media platform for advertisers to interact with consumers. During participation of free versions of the applications, ad-banners become prominently positioned within the game play, whilst purchased applications remove the advertisements. Through the use of ad-banners or, according to Calvert (2008), "adver-games" demonstrates the influence of advertisers into the subconscious game play of the consumer, thus expanding revenues and exposures through the game. Between "free" and "priced" accessibility of online games, the phenomenon of digital media convergence as entertainment within computer and mobile devices creates a high demanding public sphere, which creates competition within advertising corporations. By removing advertisements at a cost of purchasing the full-priced version creates a social culture for consumers, according to Lee and Wohn's (2012) idea of "vertical collectivism", as a hierarchal profitability in relation to the concept of ad-banners as a deteriorating quality of the online game. By integrating advertisements as a form of disrupting the media-content flow, consumers are obligated to either purchase or continue utilising the free application with advertisements. This systematic approach demonstrates the manipulation of social culture that digital media convergence have implicated within advertising, as the opportunity to advertise associated brands within a free and accessible media venue simultaneously immerses the consumer.

Alternatively, the advertisements ability to gain a profitable marketing opportunity is through the understanding of "rating" an application. The terms "rate this now" or "rate this later" implemented the participatory culture for advertisers to regurgitate ratings to advertise popular consumption. As Castells (cited in Carpentier 2011) defines this communal understanding of an "electronic network of interactive communication... organised around shared interest or purpose", demonstrates this virtual community that converges the entertainment industry of online gaming and the shared interests of a social network.

Therefore, the phenomenon of digital media convergence toward advertising has created opportunities and exploitation of media-content. As the transition to online advertising was an inevitable factor in this evolving society, the integration of advertising and new media have created a media platform of social participation and consumer culture that advertisements become associated with.

Reference List

Unit Reader:

Dwyer, T 2010, Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire, pp. 1-4.
Jenkins, H 2006, Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide, New York University Press, New York, pp. 18-19.
Spurgeon, C 2008, Advertising and New Media, Routledge, Oxon, pp. 24-25.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Digital Media Convergence

Advertising and New Media

Reference List

No comments: